Locking refrigerator latch



Oct. 4, 1932. A. EKMAN LOCKING REFRIGERATOR LATCH Filed May 19, 1950 2-Sheets$heet 1 \nomffor (Andrew E) nan Oct. 4, 1932. A. EKMAN LOCKINGREFRIGERATOR LATCH Filed May 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 UQIIBFOI AndrewEKmcm Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES ANDREW EKMAN, OF GRAND RAPIDS,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TU VJINTERS & CRAMPTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF GR..N JDVILLE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 01:

MICHIGAN LOCKING nnrnrennn'ron LATCH,

Application filed May 19, 1930. Serial No. 453,554.

This invention relates to. a latch structure A particularly applicablefor use on refrigerators and with which the refrigerator doors may bereleasably held in closed position, combined with which is a simple,novel and effective key operated lock used to lock the latch bolt orlever of the latch mechanism against movement in its keeper so that thelatch lever cannot be released to open the door. The present inventionis directed to a very practical, simple and effective construction ofthe character outlined, having many novel features of construct1on andarrangements of parts for effectively attaining the ends dethe plane ofline 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the keeper, the latch bolt being shown intransverse section.

Fig. 4 is an inner elevation of the latch construction with the baseplate removed, showing the latch lever in its latching position.

Fig. 5 is a similar view with the latch lever in its unlatchingposition.

Figs. 6 and. 7 are inner elevations of the base plate and the lockingmechanism mounted thereof, the lock being shown in opera-- tive positionin Fig. 6 and in the position to release the latch lever in Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section through the base plate and lockingmechanism.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the latch mechanism and the base plateand look thereon showing the parts separated, and

Fig. 10 is an elevation of a key used to operate the lock.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the difl'erent figuresof the drawings.

In the construction of the latch, which is to be mounted on therefrigerator door, a latch housing 1 of any conventional form may beprovided having upwardly and downwardly extending attaching flanges 2.In the upper side of the housing an opening 3 is made while one of thesides is cut away as indicated at 4 for the passage of the latchinglever.

A post 5 extends downwardly from the upper side of the housing on whichthe latch lever 6 is pivotally mounted between its ends. The projectingfree end of the lever may be equipped with a roller 7 in accordance withconventional practice. The lever is provided with a notch or recess 8 inone side adjacent its pivot and the inner end portion has an elongatedopening therethrough. In the notch 8 of the lever and in a corner of thehandle 1a which, at its upper end, is formed with an inwardly extendingarm passing through the opening 3 and into the elongated opening in theinner end portion of the latch lever 6. It is apparent that with thisconstruction, on grasping the depending handle 1% and pulling outwardl Ithereon, the lever 6 may be turned from the position shown in Fig. itothat shown in Fig. 5. The line of force of the spring 11 is carriedacross the pivotal axis about which lever 6 moves so that the lever isyieldingly held in either of its positions, shownin Fig. 4' or Fig. 5,the iorce of the spring acting to hold the same in either position andthe line of force of the spring crossing the pivotal axis about whichthe latch bolt turns.

The inner side of the housing is closed by a base plate 16 which fits ina suitable recess I therefor made at the inner side of the housing andis secured in place by a screw 17 passing through the base and threadinginto the pivot post 5. A guide rib 18 is struck inwardly from the base16, between which and a tongue 19 struck from the base, a lockbolt 20 isslid ably mounted. The bolt 20 has a projecting finger 21 at one sideand is also provided with a notch 22 forthe reception of the edge of anoperating key to move the lock bolt longitudinally. The bolt is heldsnugly against the base plate and frictionally held against accidentalmovement by a leaf spring 23 lying thereover which is held in place by atongue 24 struck inwardly from the plate 16 and passing through a slot25 in the bolt 20 and then through the spring 23, being riveted over atits outer end to cause the spring to bear with spring pressure upon thebolt 20.

A bracket 26 of the form shown is secured to the inner side of the baseplate16 and has a slot 27 in one side and a circular opening throughwhich the key barrel 28 passes, said barrel being rotatably mountedbetween the base plate 16 and the bracket 26 and extending to andthrough an opening in the top of the housing 1, whereby a key 29 (Fig.10)

may be inserted lengthwise of the key barrel 28 when it is positioned sothat-[its slot is in conjunction with the slot 27. The tongue 29a of thekey is adapted to engage the latch bolt 20 in the notch 22 to move thebolt to its two extremes'of movement, one being that shown in Fig. 6 andthe other in Fig. 7. I

When the locking bolt 20 has been moved to the position shown in Fig. 6,it isevident that the finger 21 lies in the path of movement .of theinner end of the latch lever 6 so that the same can not be operated; butwhen the bolt has been moved to the position shown in Fig. 7, thefinger21 is beyond the inner end 9 freely operated by the handle 14.

The latch structure is designed to be seof the latch lever and the levermay then be cured to a door 30 in the usual manner and the keeper usedtherewith to the door jamb 31. The keeper comprises a base 32 secured tothe door j amb or frame, having an outwardly extending post 33 which atits inner side is provided with a downwardly and inwardly curved recess34 to receive the outer "end of the latch lever. The keeper has a tripfinger 35 I at the upper side of the lever receiving recess while belowsaid recess the keeper-is formed with a downwardly and outwardlyextending shown in Figs. 1 and 4, to its upper position (1' such asshown in Figs. 5 and 7, clearing the keeperso that the door maybeopened. On

closing the door the raised upper outer end of the latch lever 6 strikesthe finger 35 at the under curved side thereof and automatically turnsthe lever to lowerposition whereby it enters the keeperand holds thedoor tightly closed. Of course, if inadvertently or accidentally thelatch bolt has been moved to its lower position before the door has beenclosed, it will ride over the cam surface 36 until the keeper receivingrecess 34 is reached.

7 The construction described is one which has proved very practical inall respects. The

lock mechanism applied tothe latch is simple and economical to make andassemble yet is especially eife'ctive'for the purposes for which it wasdesigned. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to beconsidered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming wlthin theirscope.

I claim:

' '1'. In a latch construction, a housing, a"

pivotally mounted lever mounted on said housing and located partlywithin the same and movable at its outer end to an upper or a lowerposition, common means for releas ably holding the lever in either ofsaid posi-- tions,.a base plate coveringthe inner side of the housing,and a lock bolt movably mounted thereon'andmovable to aposition toengage with thesaid lever when it is in its lower positionto'pre'ventrits movement to its upper position. 7 i v o 2. A'latchconstruction comprising, a housing, a lever pivotally mounted betweenits ends on and within said housing, apart of said lever extendingthrough one side of the housing outside'thereof,said outer portion ofthe latch lever being movable to an upper or a lower position, a baseplate closing the inner side of the housing, and a lock bolt slidablymounted thereon and movable to a position to interpose' in the path ofmovement of the inner end of the lever when the outer end of the leveris in lower position, to hold the lever against pivotal movement.

3. Ina latch structure, a housing, a latch lever pivotally mountedthereon within the housing between its ends and having an outer endportion extending through a side of the housing outside thereof,manually operable means for moving said. lever, a base plate closing theinner. side of the housing havin guides struck therefrom, anda lock.bolt slidably mounted on the housing between said latch lever when theouter end thereofisin its lower position,.and prevent movement of thelever to raise the outer portion thereof to upper position. v V j 4. Ina latch housing, a latch lever pivotally mounted thereon within thehousing and extending at one end portion thereof outside the housing,means for manually turning the lever about its pivot, a baseplateclosing the guides integral with the base plate, a locking b0lt slidablyinner side of the housing,

mounted betweensaid guides and movable guides having a part movable toextend into i the path of movement of. the inner end of the ,when theouter end portion ofthe lever is in I a lower position to a position inthe path of movement of the inner end of the lever, and spring meansconnected with the base plate and bearing against the inner side of thelocking bolt to hold it between the guides therefor and fric'tionallyretain it in any position to which it is moved.

5. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 4, wherein the means for securing said spring means to the baseplate comprises a tongue struck from the base and extending through saidlock bolt, said lock bolt having a longitudinal slot therein for thepassage of the tongue, and the spring means comprising a leaf springbearing against the inner side of the bolt through which said tonguepasses, the end of the tongue being headed to retain the leaf spring inposition against the bolt.

6. In a latch construction of the type described, a housing, a pivotallymounted lever mounted upon said housing and located partly within thesame and movable at its outer end to an upper or a lower position, abase plate covering the inner side of the housing and a lock boltslidab'ly n1ounted upon the base plate and movable to a position toengage with the said lever when it is in one of its positions to lockthe same against movement.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

' ANDREW EKMAN.

